Frigate was considered for the new type, but battle cruiser sounded more impressive after the launch of HMS Dreadnought. The name avoided the public impression that Britain had followed its revolutionary battleship by stepping back to a lesser category. Battle cruiser was originally two words, formed in the same way as armoured cruiser or light cruiser. The later one-word spelling came through press usage, making the terminology part of the type's public history.
Notable Point · 1:01:03-1:01:39
Why the Royal Navy chose the name battle cruiser
Calling the new ships battle cruisers carried more public appeal than reviving frigate, and the press later compressed the original two-word term.